NEWARK - Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency for New Jersey Friday night as a powerful snowstorm moves across the Garden State.

As part of the state of emergency, the governor authorized New Jersey Transit to shut down at 2 a.m. Christie said this would give the transit agency time to assess their system and clear roads and tracks as needed.

He said NJ Transit will then have the option to resume a normal weekend schedule as needed. New Jersey Transit will cross-honor tickets Saturday and Sunday due to the storm.